Chapter 11
"Ah, I see you guys are finally back." Trey noted as the trio entered the kitchen with ingredients.
"Sorry about that, we got a bit held up but we got everything you requested." Marie said as she set the bags on the counter.
"Perfect. Now that we have everything, we can start making our tart."
In order to be efficient, tasks were split up among the teens. Ace and Deuce were in charge of making the chestnut paste while Marie and Grim were to make the crust. Trey went back and forth between the two groups, ensuring the instructions were followed. Marie held the large bowl up to her chest as she stirred together the ingredients. With each stir, the mixture slowly transformed from a watery liquid to a gooey mass. Grim's smile was practically beaming as he stared up at the bowl with his paws rubbing together.
"Heee heee, I can practically taste it already."
Marie gave a few final stirs as she got the mix to the desired density. The brief memory of her grandmother baking cookies flashed through her mind of how she would often give her and her sister the spoon when she finished. "How cute would Grim look doing that?" she thought to herself. Curious to find out, she handed him the spoon. The feline's eyes sparkled as he snatched the spoon. His pink tongue kept flicking out to lick up the dough with his eyes closed in happiness. At the sight, Marie immediately slapped her hand over her mouth with blood-red cheeks. "What have I done, it's too adorable!"
Immediately to distract herself from the cuteness, she coughed rapidly before asking Trey "So, next we gotta knead the dough right?"
"That's right. That way, we can make the base for the tart." Trey answered, "This part might be a little tricky for a beginner, so I'll walk you through the actions until you get into a rhythm."
He walked behind Marie and reached his arms over her shoulders, taking her hands into his. He placed his fingers on top of hers and started explaining the kneading process. With just gentle presses, he was guiding her hands, showing when to push down and when to fold. It awed the girl how knowledgeable he was about cooking, to the point he could even guide a rookie like her. Even by the feel of his hands, she could tell his experience. There were calluses on his palms; most notably the index finger on his right hand. It is often said one's skill is shown by how rough their hands are.
"You've been at this for a while huh?" Marie found herself commenting out loud.
Trey simply huffed out a laugh. "My parents own a bakery shop. When your family is in the business of making sweets, you tend to pick these things up."
"Well, then it's a good thing you're helping us make this tart. Knowing his highness, he would blow his lid if the tart wasn't perfect." she replied, her words dripping in sarcasm for a moment.
Suddenly she felt Trey pause his actions. It seems the topic of the Heartslabyul Dorm Head was a sore one. She heard him finally sigh before he started guiding her hands again.
"Riddle isn't as terrible as you think. You guys simply got off on the wrong foot with him. Trust me, if you take the time to know him, you'll see he's pretty alright."
Marie looked over her shoulder at Trey, who was giving her a kind smile. Looking at his face, it was hard to deny his words. His gold-colored eyes behind his glasses seemed so kind like they had no reason to lie. Now she was feeling a little guilty for bad-mouthing Riddle. "Alright, if you say so, I'm willing to give it a shot." she sighed. Trey's smile raised a bit in the corners, clearly happy with her words.
"Oi, we put in the milk now right?" Ace's voice called across from the kitchen.
"Right, let me come over there to be sure." Trey called back before refocusing on the dough Marie was kneading. "Looks like you picked up the rhythm. I'm going to go back over and help the others. Let me know when you finish."
Marie nodded, and with that, the upperclassman released her hands and walked away. The young girl focused on the task at hand, molding the dough into the desired shape. She applied pressure but not too much to tear the dough. Slowly the dough was pressed into a tin shape. Marie dusted off her dirty hands, pretty pleased with her work. Grim had finished licking the last of the dough off his spoon. He glanced at the dough with his eyes half-lidded; a face he often did whenever he was bored or annoyed. Seems he was quite unimpressed with the tart base.
"Nyeh, tell me when the yummy stuff gets filled in." he responded before yawning and curling up on the counter.
The teenager rolled her eyes at the feline before picking up the base. Per the instruction she was given, she placed it in the oven. "Good things appliances seem to work the same here as back in my world." It took around fifteen minutes for the base to turn into a nice golden brown. Firguring it was done, Marie took the base out of the oven and walked over to Trey. She gave him a tap on the shoulder, prompting him to turn toward her. Holding out the tart base, she suddenly felt a little nervous presenting it. After all, Trey had years of experience under his belt, while the most experience she ever had in the kitchen was making a grilled cheese sandwich or boiling an egg.
"Hmm, pretty good, and ready just in time for the cream filling." Trey smiled.
Hearing this caused Marie to sigh in relief. She didn't think he would have yelled at her for her novice results, but it was still pleasing to hear her first attempt was alright. Standing back a bit, she watched as Trey got the pot from Ace and Deuce. Using a rubber scraper, he scooped the freshly made cream out of the pot and into the tart base. It was truly a memorizing sight. He moved with speed and precision, molding the cream into a dome shape. It was like watching an artist at work. She wondered if perhaps Trey would be willing to teach her to cook more things. Her dorm did have a kitchen; it wouldn't hurt to pick up the cooking skills.
"And now, we add in oyster sauce." Trey said.
"Oyster sauce?!" the trio of first-years exclaimed.
"Yep, especially the Walrus Approved Young Oyster Sauce. It'll give the cream a deep richness. All the famous patisserie use it in their tarts."
The three teens seemed puzzled by their senior's comment. Marie opened one of the cabinets and found the oyster sauce. On the bottle, a cartoon walrus in a suit sat with terrified oysters in a bowl. "I don't know. Wouldn't it be too salty? Like, isn't this stuff normally used for sushi or something?"
"I don't know much about cooking, but I'm kind of with Marie here. It doesn't sound right." Deuce added.
The girl quirked her mouth into a frown. It seemed strange, but then again, she barely knew anything about cooking. Trey really had no reason to lie to them, so it had to be true. Taking the dive, she starts unscrewing the bottle lid. Yet the moment she got it open, she heard snickering. Glancing up, she saw Trey doing his best to hold back laughter while holding his hand over his mouth. The attempt failed as he lowered his hand with loud laughter, holding his hands on his stomach. Marie tilted her head, puzzled by the display. Seems even Ace and Deuce shared her confusion.
Trey's laughter only quieted down slightly as he took the oyster sauce from the girl's hand and screwed back on the lid. "Oh course it would make it too salty." he chuckled as he put the bottle back in the cabinet. Another chuckle slipped from his lips before he cleared his throat. "I was joking around with you guys." He flashed a sly yet still kind grin. "Consider this a lesson in not believing everything you hear."
Marie's face turned bright red with embarrassment. She crossed her arms and hunched her shoulders, staring down at the floor. It seemed that Trey's eyes weren't as trustworthy as she initially perceived.
"Screw you, I actually believed you for a second." Ace huffed, "Now are you gonna tell us how to finish making this tart or are you gonna pull more crap?"
"Let it go, Ace. At least you found out now instead of later." Deuce piped up. His shoulders slouched as he gained a distant look. "Like sixteen years later. Sixteen... whole... years."
The teen raised a brow at his companion before shaking his head. "Okay, Deuce weirdness aside, we can trust you to help us right? No more tricks?"
Trey chuckled before answering "Right, no more tricks. I promise everything else that comes out my mouth will be true information."
Fortunately for the trio, Trey was committed to his word. Following his instructions, they gathered the remaining chestnut cream and put it in a piping bag. Trey insisted he do the final part, as it required a careful hand. Marie leaned close to the tart alongside her two friends, watching as the brown cream was layered on. By the time it was finished, it looked like a bird nest.
"And with a pinch of sugar, we are finished." Trey said as he sprinkled the top of the tart.
Hearing the words "finished", Grim's ears twitched before he sprung up from his spot on the counter.
"Yay, the yummy tart is finished!" he cheered, scampering over to Marie's leg.
"Grim, you fell asleep while we were making it." she grumbled, picking up her feline friend.
"Yeah, but I still helped. So, therefore, I should be rewarded!"
"No worries, you all worked hard so I think everyone deserves the reward of tasting freshly baked tart." Trey grinned.
Hearing this, the group of friends couldn't help but cheer.
"Wait, before you dig in, let me take some pics for Magicam!" Cater exclaimed, dashing into the kitchen with phone in hand.
"Why is it now that you show up instead of when we could have used help making the tart?" Ace deadpanned.
"What, can't a guy drop in to check on his darling underclassmen?"
If Marie had magic, she imagined her glare would burn a hole in Cater's phone. She barely knew him, and so far, her first impressions were "Slacker." The camera flashed a few times in her face before Cater glanced at his phone.
"Hmm, the stink eye won't attract many likes." he muttered to himself. He did a few quick swipes on his phone, probably deleting said stink-eye photos. Once finished, his mouth quirked up slightly with lips tightly pressed together, his index finger idly tapping against his phone. Then, his face brightened. "Ah, I got it! Trey do the thing!"
"The thing?" the green-haired teen raised a brow before shifting to an expression of realization. Oh, that thing." He pulled out his magic pen and asked what everyone's favorite food was.
Marie seemed a little puzzled. "Is he wanting to bake us something?" Seeing as her comrades were immediately listing off their favorite foods, Marie saw no harm in it. Ace's was cherries and hamburgers. Deuce's was omurice, a Japanese dish similar to an omelet. As for Grim, there was too many things to list as the little monster kept naming an assortment of delicious food. For Marie herself, she liked peaches and watermelon. Both were sweet on her tongue. And with the juices, they quench her thirst a bit, especially on hot summer days. Finally Cater's, interestingly enough, was grilled lamb with Diavolo sauce.
Having gathered everyone's choices, Trey's magic pen glowed red as he said "Doodle Suit!"
Sparkles covered the tart momentarily before disappearing.
"Uh, was something supposed to happen?" Deuce asked.
"You'll see, just go ahead and take a bite of the tart." Trey said, handing everyone forks.
With a shrug of her shoulders, Marie got a small piece and placed it into her mouth. The moment it hit her tastebuds, her eyes nearly bulged. The tart didn't taste like chestnuts at all. It tasted like both watermelon and peaches. She couldn't help but close her eyes and hold her cheek in delight. "Mmm, so good!" she let out.
Ace, Deuce, and Grim were in complete agreement with her as their tarts tasted like the foods they had named.
"Now those are click-worthy expressions!" Cater said, taking some more snapshots.
"This is amazing, is changing the flavor of food your unique magic, Trey?" Deuce asked.
Swallowing down her tart piece, Marie piped up "Unique magic? You mean you guys have your own special spells?"
"Oh, that's right. You're not from our world, so you wouldn't know anything about unique magic, " Cater said as he typed away on his phone. "I think I'll let Trey-kins here give you the rundown. It gives him the chance to explain how his spell works anyway."
Hearing his friend's words, the older teen sighed with a smile. Pushing up his glasses, he explained "As a matter of fact yes, unique magic is our own special spells. We're not born with them, but as we develop our magical skills, they can develop their own traits in time. In a way, the magic molds and grows to match the user's personality." He took a moment to gesture to the tart. "My unique magic is called 'Doodle Suit' and Deuce was only half right about what it does. Essentially, I can overwrite any component. That means not just tastes, but your other senses such as feeling or smell. It only lasts for a short time though. In fact that tart should be back to normal now."
Testing his claim, Marie took another small bite with her fork. Sure enough, she tasted chestnuts this time. "Mmm, still tastes so good though." she gushed.
"Wow, with your magic, my dream of a never-ending tuna buffet isn't too far off!" Grim exclaimed, "That's way cooler than mean old Riddle's magic."
Uh oh, there was that sore spot again. The room fell into an awkward silence. Ace even coughed as he tugged at the collar still locked around his neck.
Finally, Trey broke the silence. "Looks like it's getting late. You'll have to deliver the tart tomorrow at the Unbirthday Party."
"Marie, you'll let me sleep over at Ramshackle again right?" Ace asked before putting on an exaggerated pout, "They're clearly not gonna let me go back to Heartslabyul and you wouldn't be so heartless to leave me out in the cold right?"
The girl could only sigh at her friend's puppy-dog eyes. "Of course, Ace, you can stay over again."
"Really, Ace, you shouldn't be imposing on Marie like that." Deuce said with a disapproving scowl.
"Imposing?! Where else I'm supposed to go?!"
"If you're too worried about it, Deuce, I'll have you go with them to keep an eye on Ace." Trey suggested, "As vice dorm leader, I give you permission to sleepover at Ramshackle."
"Sleepover... at Marie's dorm..." the young teen blushed as he rubbed his arm.
The idea of a sleepover did sound quite appealing to Marie. As a child, she had always wanted friends over, but never really got the chance. Yet she still always heard the stories. Tales of pillow fights, eating snacks, and playing games almost all night. It could make for a fun time with Ace and Deuce should the stories prove true. She couldn't help but grin at the thought.
"Yeah, you should come over, Deuce!" she urged the boy, taking him by the hands. "Just think of everything we could do!"
Deuce's face was practically beaming red, unable to respond but instead stuttering out an "O-o-ok-k-ka-a-ay."
"Oh, I'm getting kind of jelly at the thought of it. You don't suppose you'll also permit me to sleepover at Ramshackle, will you, Trey?" Cater teased lightly.
"For you, that has to be a no." Trey chuckled.
The ginger could only give out an exaggerated sigh as he mindlessly twirled one of the strands of his hair around his finger.
It was nightfall as Trey sat at his desk, a perplexed frown on his face. He had the rule book of the Queen of Hearts laying open, trying to go over whatever rules he could. As the vice dorm leader, he always sought to maintain the peace no matter the cost. Yet Ace's actions that previous night were nothing but a disruption to said peace. The whole thing just felt sick to his stomach. "Not even a day into the semester and I already got my work cut out for me." He sighed as he took off his glasses and rubbed his face tiredly.
"Worried about tomorrow huh?" Cater's voice called over from his side of the room.
He let out a half-hearted laugh, lowering his hand from his face. "It's that obvious huh?"
"As Vil of Pomefiorre would put it, keep frowning so much and those frown lines will become permanent."
Placing back on his glasses, Trey turned in his chair to face Cater who was sitting on his bed, sharing the same worried look.
"You tell me that yet you look just as glum."
The teen sighed out at the comeback. "Yeah, pretty hypocritical of me, but I can't help it when thinking about the Unbirthday Party. So many of the members are already on thin ice with our queen. You and I both saw the number of those collared have increased since we got back. Seems Riddle is especially testy this year."
Trey knew Cater was right. It had seemed that since the semester began, Riddle had been especially angry. The earliest point was during the mishap that occurred at the entrance ceremony. Marie's and Grim's appearance had thrown everything into chaos, whereas Riddle himself would have preferred the calm and predictable. Ah Marie, she was like the stories of the girl who stumbled into the Queen's domain. A girl who went against the Queen's laws, nearly collapsing the careful system that kept Wonderland from falling into madness once more.
"Cater, we need to make sure tomorrow's Unbirthday Party is perfect. For all their sakes."
Suddenly there was a soft knock at the door.
"Come in, door's open." Trey called out.
The door opened and in stepped a boy with dark hair. Trey recalled he was one of the first-year residents, having joined alongside the likes of Ace and Deuce. The boy was trembling as he closed the door behind him.
"Vice Dorm Head Trey, I'm sorry for coming here so late but..." the boy sniffed as he started letting out loud sobs, "I just can't take it anymore!"
His stomach twisted from the boy's sobs. This was a familiar sight. Ever since Riddle became the Dorm Head, many of Heartslabyul students would flock to him to air their grievances. Whether it be breakdowns of stress or words of rage, all of it boiled down to the same song and dance. No one wanted to live under Riddle's rules. Yet what could he do about it? "They all expect me to able to handle him with ease. Why can't they ever realize Riddle is so much more than me." Trey thought as his fingers dug into his arm.
Riddle was the one with the good grades. Riddle was the one with the high marks in magic. Riddle was the one who could seal anyone's magic. Riddle was above them all. The rest of them were just the queen's loyal trump cards; all they could was be quiet and obey, lest they lose their heads.
Trey sighed as he patted the boy's head, ruffling his head a bit. "Don't worry, I'll try talking to him. You go ahead back to your room."
He gave a kind, reassuring smile as the boy looked up at him. The boy nodded his head, wiping away his tears with his sleeve. Having accomplished easing the underclassmen's fear, Trey guided him back over the door and opened it up for him. With a gentle push on the back, he nudged him back into the hallway. His smile never left his face till he finally closed the door with a soft click. Trey pressed his forehead up against the wood as he inhaled deeply through his nose.
"Well, I suppose I better go fix some tea. Riddle always seems more inclined to listen when he has a hot drink." Cater sighed out behind him as he heard him rise from the bed.
Lifting his head back up from the door, he turned the knob and opened it as Cater joined his side. "Remember, make sure it's herbal tea and not black tea. I'm pretty sure Rule 158 forbids herbal tea from being drunk during the evening."
"Right, now let's hope we don't lose our heads."
With that, they left Trey's dorm room.